“Sopranos” creator David Chase has inked a five-year, first-look deal to create shows for HBO parent WarnerMedia.
The news comes as Chase’s “Sopranos” prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark,” which stars Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti and James Gandolfini’s son Michael Gandolfini as a young Tony Soprano, hits theaters and HBO Max today.
Under his new deal, Chase will develop movies and shows for HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
“David Chase is one of the most gifted storytellers working in the film and television industry,” said Casey Bloys, chief content officer of HBO and HBO Max. “HBO has had a long and celebrated creative partnership with David, and this deal affords us a wonderful opportunity to continue this relationship at HBO and HBO Max.”
Warner Bros. Pictures chairman Toby Emmerich added: “David has a singular voice and is a gifted writer and filmmaker. His work is pure and authentic, and highly compelling for a broad audience. The critical reception of ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ speaks to David’s mastery of both film and television. We are thrilled to keep David in the Warner Bros. family.”
Although he is best known for “The Sopranos,” which launched on HBO in 1999 and is widely considered one of the greatest television series of all time, Chase directed rock n roll feature film “Not Fade Away,” which came out in 2012 and starred Gandolfini.
While it is unclear if Chase will pen more “Sopranos” spinoffs, his latest prequel, “Many Saints” leaves viewers with the impression that there may be more stories to be told about a young Tony Soprano as he enters the world of organized crime.
The timing of a “Sopranos” spinoff comes at a time when the original series is enjoying a resurgence in popularity due to the pandemic. According to the New York Times, the award-winning series, which ran for six seasons, is being discovered for the first time by a younger generation on streaming service HBO Max. .